By: Fazil Dawoodani
While we might be two games deep in the 2026 Buffalo Bills season, this is still a good time to evaluate what could be ahead for a Buffalo Bills squad facing enormous expectations. After defeating the Houston Texans 36-31 in a Week 1 thriller and handily topping the Detroit Lions 41-31 in their first game at the New Highmark Stadium, the Bills enter Week 3 sitting atop the AFC East with a 2-0 record and plenty of momentum. However, for a team that has reached the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons, without appearing in the Super Bowl during that entire stretch, the standard here in Buffalo has, for a while now, no longer been simply making the postseason. The expectation is to finally get through the AFC and compete for their first Super Bowl championship.
The Bills entered the highly consequential 2026 season determined to address their problems. After a 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in last season’s AFC Divisional Round, longtime head coach Sean McDermott was fired and replaced by then-offensive coordinator Joe Brady. The Bills also traded for Chicago Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore, giving Josh Allen another major weapon, while making changes to the defensive side of the roster. The organization is doing this with the goal of combining continuity around Allen with a different approach under Brady.
Allen has made the ultimate goal clear. During the offseason, he said that despite all the changes, “the goal remains the same, and that’s to bring a Lombardi Trophy to Western New York.” Brady, meanwhile, has emphasized that the team can’t assume that its success from previous seasons will simply carry over. During training camp, he said that the Bills “haven’t earned a damned thing”, stressing that the team needs to establish itself again, but this time, under a new coaching staff.
So far, the results have been encouraging. Allen has thrown for 582 yards (4th in the NFL) and 5 touchdowns (tied for 2nd), while also adding on 4 rushing touchdowns, giving him 9 total touchdowns (both stats are good for the league lead). Newcomer D.J. Moore caught 5 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown in his Bills debut, while tight end Dalton Kincaid has started out his season as one of Allen’s most productive targets. Against Detroit, Allen accounted for 5 touchdowns and Buffalo scored 27 points in the first half.
The 2-0 start doesn’t guarantee what will happen over the remaining 15 games, but it does provide an early glimpse into what we could potentially see out of the Bills. The offense has looked explosive so far, and the defense has generated sufficient pressure, all while Brady has shown a willingness to be aggressive.
However, the hardest part will come after the regular season wraps up. If they have another strong showing through the fall and the winter, the Bills could secure a chance to embark on their eighth consecutive playoff run through the AFC’s toughest competition. For the Bills, two games is encouraging, but the real measure of this new era will come when we reach January.
The question is no longer whether the Buffalo Bills can be a contender. It’s whether this new version of the Bills is the one that finally finishes the job.